funkalicious wrote:
Well we are talking about a nearly 14 year old car and it sounds like they are looking for an inexpensive fix. It wouldn't be any easier or harder to steal than any other car with an aftermarket remote start system and that is something a thief wouldn't know until they were already attempting to steal it. I spent the better part of a decade working in the car business between Porsche, Acura, and Honda, one of the many things I learned is that if a thief wants your car, they are going to get it.
The age of the car is irrelevant just like someone looking for a "cheap fix", we don't do "cheap fixes" at work, our customers get the job done properly and we guarantee our work. If they aren't happy with the price they don't get the job done.
Your right, if a car thief wants a car they are going to take it, regardless of the security it has, factory or after market. And thanks to how cars are now a lot of newer cars are even easier to get....who read about the 10 key programmer for BMW's...
Acura and Honda... same same
I highly doubt that it would void your insurance as if it did there would be many people in the US who have theft insurance that is null and void.
I can only comment on how it is here in Aus, the states are a little behind with cars and security but I would be surprised if the law about removing a factory fitted system is different to ours ( and most of the world). We have a lot of car's and bikes here too going around with VAT's turned off or dodgy jobs with the chips so the customer doesn't need to fork out big dollars for their keys, fact is it's still illegal. part of the ADR ( Australian Design rule) is that it is mandatory for cars since 2001 to be fitted with an immobiliser, that means that for the whole registered life of the car this must be functioning correctly, just like every other part of the car.
Side note, Honda and Acura have something called a "brake code" which performed properly would allow 10 starts of the vehicle without a chipped key, any properly cut key will do. After the 10 starts were up, you would need to do the brake code again. That code varies from vehicle to vehicle and would require a very high clearance access to the manufacturers database as well as a VIN. It's not easy information to acquire, google isn't going to help.
There are a couple of car manufactures that have a "limp home" function where you need to enter a PIN to bypass the immobiliser each start, this PIN comes with the car and some of the time can be found in the owners manual in the glove box, some after market alarms use the same thing.
really though, with the availability of OBD tools and the lack of security on OBD ports it's easier to just code in a key.
As for the OP, the cheaper option here is to do the job right, as already said get a new key shell, get it cut to code and not copied from your worn broken key and get the chip put in it, 10 minute job..... Oh, and get a spare
